Everyday Systems

I feel compelled to write this because this week I didn't exercise 3 days in a row and I felt HORRIBLE physical and mentally. Many of you have probably heard some of these but it's worth a reminder.

I have been a steady weight (more or less) for the past 3 years, despite regular exercise. This would make many people want to stop exercising all together. What's the point if you're not losing weight? Well here are some fringe benefits that might get you to think differently about exercising. (I'm sharing my own experiences but there are lots of articles to back these up, too).

Mood. My mood is so much better when I exercise on a regular basis - almost every day and not skipping 2 days in a row. When I am not exercising, I get really down, almost sluggish. I used to be on anti-depressants, but not anymore now that I exercise a lot.

Energy. When I'm on a good routine, I have a ton more energy. I'm not like Richard Simmons, running around like a crazy person or anything, but I feel as if I have the energy to get things done.

Boredom. When I exercise for nearly an hour a day, there's less time for boredom. On days when I give myself a break, I feel so bored!

Tone. Despite the fact I haven't really lost any weight, I am toned--at least a little more toned than I would be if I didn't exercise. Not muscular necessarily but I'm a lot more toned than I would be.

Weight maintenance. I don't think it's a coincidence that in December, when I was eating a lot and hardly exercising, my weight skipped up 6 lbs. As soon as January hit and my wedding and christmas had passed, I got back onto regular exercise (and eating) and the weight went right back down to my normal weight.

Rewarding/Self-esteem boost. It just feels good to know that I am exercising regularly. And after working out, I feel so proud of myself. There's nothing better than that. Plus, when the doctor asks me about if I exercise regularly, I can confidently and truthfully tell her I do! That feels so good.

HEALTH. Your health in general is greatly affected by regular exercise. I know my blood pressure is really good. I don't know too much about this section, but I know there are lots of benefits!

I wish I could articulate all of this better, but these are the basic fringe benefits to exercising. Have a great day and get your 30 minutes! You won't be sorry, even if you don't lose any pounds.

Looks like I made a boring post. Sorry if it comes off braggy... it's not meant to!

They are all good points, and may help motivate reluctant exercisers like me!

I think these are awesome points. They may help remove the "well I gotta work out" stigma.

Boring ?? No way !

it was very interesting to read .. except the part about Richard Simmons though .. gosh he is so annoying !!
That nearly ruined the whole post for me, imagining him running around and yelling !!

Cheers !

Marc

Nichole, your point about exercise helping with weight maintenance is a very important one. I always used to go through this self-pity routine with myself as it concerns exercise. I was mentally always thinking "Woe is me---I was born with bad genes; I have to exercise." But one day I took a look around the gym and realized that most of the people there looked in shape. I had this epiphany that many thin people are that way because they work at it and don't give up when they've reached some number on the scale.

Also, I think exercise helps in weight maintenance in that it makes you think twice before eating something that you really don't need to be eating. For example, if I go to the gym and bust my butt working out, I'm less likely to pig out because I think to myself, "That one doughnut is 1/2 hour on the treadmill."

Good post!

Nicole, I read your post when too busy to respond, but my reaction was "You go, girl! Too right!"

It's a lovely summary of the multiple benefits of exercise. You are REALLY smart to develop the habit while young!

I'll add one more, that you're too young to know about. As you get older, it's easy to lose your range of motion, especially if you sit a lot in your day job (like, at a computer). Exercise maintains flexibility. That's HUGE in terms of daily activity - being comfortable sitting on the floor, picking up a dropped object, etc. Still joints are achy joints, and exercise helps prevent that.

But everything on your list rings true to me.

Have to add a "me too" about energy and mood.

I hurt my ankle and knee a couple of weeks ago and took 5 days off exercise and a couple of weeks of only very light exercise and my mood plummeted. I felt really low and lethargic, it was horrible.

Started exercising normally again this week and already it's like a weight has been lifted off. I don't bother tracking exercise on habitcal any more - I know my body is doing the tracking for me!

Uh oh...the word "exercise" is almost as taboo to me as "calories" is. I've been guilting myself into exercise for as long as I've been dieting. Thank God I found No S and Reinhard Engels. From his "Urban Ranger" page -

Let me guess: you don't go to the gym, or strap yourself to the bike machine, or grind the cartilage off your joints jogging around the track, as often as you think you should, if at all. Maybe you go for six months, plateau, get bored, quit for a year, get disgusted, and start up again. Maybe you haven't exercised in ages. You suspect that your problem is a deficiency of willpower. Well, you're off. Your problem is you are squandering willpower on a hopeless task: exercise divorced from purpose. The solution: purposeful exertion; in particular, walking.

Walking is still useful. It is interesting and pleasant. You can think and observe while you walk. You get somewhere. You don't need any special equipment or outfits. It provides great health returns on very little investment, without the risk associated with high impact activities. And you can do it for the rest of your life.

Now that my exercise isn't "exercise" anymore, I am finally getting to experience all the wonderful benefits Nichole described in the OP.

I LOVE my exercise bike. I couple it with a program I like to watch and the time flies. I am uncomfortable walking outside sometimes because I feel really self conscious (silly I know). I also like working with weights. I'm up to 10 lbs. I just feel so good when I work out; I'll never go back.

I've been trying really hard to get out and walk more since starting No S. It turns out that both Whole Foods AND the good wine store are within reasonable walking distance of my house. I have learned the hard way that carrying 30 pounds of groceries home uphill is more exercise than I had in mind -- but walking a couple of miles to get high-quality delicious food and wine, to me, sums up what No S is all about!

I could not agree more with your post, Nichole. I'm glad you've discovered the benefits. I find the MOOD one to be the most compelling for me. If I exercise, I'm in a good mood all day . . .more than one day off, and I'm like a different person (and not in a good way). I do think exercise is a natural anti-depressant.